Bend fire officials offer home, property fire safety tips

With summer fast approaching, the Bend Fire Department and the Deschutes Rural Fire Protection District #2 have some tips for making your home and property safe from fire:

Remove dead brush, branches and unwanted vegetation and take advantage of the FireFree Yard Debris Disposal event, free disposal at Knott Landfill May 5-13, and see their other locations and times throughout Deschutes County at www.firefree.org. Clean out gutters and needles from your roof and add them to the debris pile. Burning of debris: this is never permitted within city limits; in the Fire District, be sure to have a copy of the regulations on hand, and always call the burn line, 541-322-6335, for burning status. If you have smokers in the house, ensure that there is a safe means to dispose of cigarette butts, so they do not ignite vegetation or landscaping. If you stain or oil your decks and fences, please dispose of the oily rags in accordance with the directions on the can. DO NOT wad them up and leave them on the deck: they will ignite and burn! If you use bark mulch, ensure that you always have a separation of 5 feet from the edge of the mulch to any combustible element, such as siding, a deck or a fence. When sparks from any source (cigarettes, barbecue, embers from a fire) land on mulch, it smolders and travels until it finds combustible material, and then it will burn.

For more information on ensuring your home’s safety this summer, please call the Bend Fire Department at 541-322-6300. They are always happy to answer questions!